Wake and Bank: This Guy Gets Paid Thousands to Roll Elaborate Joints

To many people, a successful stoner is an oxymoron. If you’re one of those people, please let me introduce you to Tony Greenhand.

Now that recreational weed is legal in his state, this 26-year-old Oregonian has made a business doing what he loves: rolling joints. Joints so intricate some have called him the “Monet” of the industry. And so in demand that he’s paid big bucks to roll them — as much as $7,000 for a set.

Here are the details on this kid’s dope business venture…

Tony Greenhand and His Smokable Weed Art

For more than 100 years, our nation’s had a strong stigma against marijuana — but the tide seems to be turning.

Recreational marijuana is now legal in Alaska, Colorado, Washington D.C., Oregon and Washington, and 20 other states allow medical marijuana. In these locations, cannabis-based businesses like Greenhand’s are literally growing like weeds.

Greenhand sells “smokable art” in the form of elaborate joints rolled to look like animals, cartoon characters, food and even celebrities.

Although he says he’s been rolling joints since he was a teenager, it was merely a hobby until three years ago, when a friend urged him to post one of his creations on Reddit.

Weed enthusiasts were enthralled — Doritos bags across the world were dropped — and soon, his fame, clientele and social media accounts exploded.

He has nearly 100,000 Instagram followers, where you can see the components of one of his biggest commissions: an arsenal of smokable weapons that fetched a cool $7,000. The AK-47 alone held a whopping half-pound of marijuana inside of it, according to Vocativ.

Some projects take less than an hour, while others take “multiple attempts over the course of a week,” Vocativ reports.

Because of the varying legality of his art, Greenhand’s customers must come to Oregon to pick up the finished products — or he mails hollow joints for customers to fill themselves.

He charges $50 per hour for most projects, but also accepts trades. Vocativ reports he’s into “anything spectacular,” like diamonds, exotic animal parts, fossils or “jarred specimens.”

Though Greenhand wouldn’t reveal how much he earns per year, he told Vocativ it’s enough for him to “live comfortably.”

Surprised he’s been able to make joint-rolling into a career? You’re not the only one.

“It doesn’t even sound real when I say it,” he told Vocativ.

Your Turn: What do you think of Greenhand’s work?

Susan Shain, senior writer for The Penny Hoarder, is always seeking adventure on a budget. Visit her blog at susanshain.com, or say hi on Twitter @susan_shain.

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